Lesson 6: Our lives have a greater purpose.

My life slowly began changing dramatically because of God and those that were part of our circle of friends. The company you keep will bring you up or down so remember to choose wisely. Once I realized that my life was far greater than my own personal fulfillment or happiness, I found my life had a greater meaning. My purpose was found in Him. Life was not merely about me. I am here to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Colossians 1:16 For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible… EVERYTHING got started in him and finds its purpose in Him.

There is nothing like having children to realize that life is really not about you. We welcomed Caryn in November ’88 and two years later Courtney arrived in January ’91. I never dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom but God had other plans as I had really strong maternal instincts and the idea of leaving my child in daycare overwhelmed me. Having recently bought our first home plus living on a single income in the DC area was not only expensive but impossible. God provided not only a wonderful job for Jon in Austin but the company was IBM and Jon had desperately wanted to work for them right out of college. What a blessing!!! Living in Austin, TX where the cost of living was easier, Jon’s salary stretched much further and now we were within driving distance to our parents. Motherhood was the most amazing gift.

Despite all the growth, I continued struggling emotionally and spiritually. Being closer to my family of origin just confirmed that I didn’t belong and opened up old wounds that had not properly healed. Also, we left behind our spiritual home in VA with deep and meaningful relationships offering a place of belonging. We drove cross county with a 3 week old and a two-year-old to a place where we knew no one. Jon started his job while I was left alone to manage. Adding to the stress, our newborn developed renal reflux and had other health issues. Looking back I was most likely suffering from postpartum depression and anxiety.

Lesson 7: If you change nothing, nothing will change and sometimes you might need to seek professional help.

A year after arriving in Austin, I vacationed at the Minirth-Meier Clinic to intentionally deal with my anger issues, depression, and PTSD. I had such horrible stinking thinking and believed many wrongs lies about myself. Desperately wanting to be a loving mother I knew I needed to deal with my anger as that was not the legacy I desired to leave behind. Counseling was my road to becoming a better ME, wife, and mom. Over time the soil of my heart was tilled loosening the strongholds of bitterness, hurt, and anger that had been deeply rooted. As they were dislodged, there was room for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and most importantly forgiveness. I was fertilizing a new harvest for my children and the generations to come. I like what Danny Silk says, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”

Lesson 8: God often uses our husbands to lead us but we must be willing to follow.

I will be perfectly honest, I am not a good follower as I had made a vow that no one would ever control me. However, this attitude can be interpreted as being disrespectful which will slowly erode a marriage. Jon and I hold firmly to the belief that couples should invest in their marriage every three years. You can read this past post for our ideas. From Spectator to Participant – Tips to Grow Your Marriage.

Ten years into our marriage, which was about two years after my healing journey, I finally had an incredible support system when Jon was offered a killer job in San Diego. I was like, NO/Never !!! As women, we are good at convincing our husbands and ultimately Jon turned down the offer. While at a ladies gathering a wise woman shared that when we are older reflecting on life will we, or our husbands, look back on life with regrets and longings for missed opportunities. Yep! I was convicted. Thankfully, six months later, God provided a second chance regarding the job. This season of our life was characterized by enormous spiritual growth, family closeness, and adventure all of which I would have missed out on had I had my way.

Lesson 9: Never say Never

What’s not to like about sunny CA? Well, it’s not Austin, Texas! It’s said the grass is always greener on the other side until you must maintain it. However, if you water the grass on your side it might become just as green. We eventually moved back to Austin in 1998 and I learned that it’s sometimes harder to go back as life continues without you and people plus circumstances change. I certainly came back a different person!

You see, whenever God gives a person a command, He always gives His power to perform it. THUS

In 2001, our third daughter was born a decade after her sister. Everything I thought I knew about parenting was so different. I was older and more experienced so I thought 😉 Each child has a unique personality and temperament.

I’m unsure how I survived as a younger mom without all the gizmos and gadgets. A lot can happen in 10 years such as the smartphone. In 2007, both Caryn and Courtney graduated from high school while Cayley completed Kindergarten. God has such a sense of humor.

Lesson 10: Life will be Difficult.

We all face disappointments, delays, setbacks, financial woes, etc. and that’s part of life! The issue is not that life is going to be hard, as that is certain, but how will we respond when it is hard and we are thrown a curve. Will we respond with bitterness and upset or will we exude contentment – with calmness, cheerfulness/joy, and peaceful acceptance? Contentment doesn’t come naturally nor is it easily learned. In fact, Paul said “I have learned to be content” in Philippians 4:11.

God continued to teach me about contentment for in 2002 we sold our dream home so my husband could start his company. At first, it was exciting, but when we went months without getting paid, and as debt accumulated, it put a strain on our marriage. We often wanted Jesus to hurry and calm the storms. But He wanted us to find Him in the midst of the storm. It wasn’t until February of 2009, 7 years later that the company would be acquired only to bring about new challenges requiring Jon to travel a lot and leaving me as a pseudo-single mom.

Life happens!!! Therefore, we will have many opportunities to choose either contentment or unhappiness. Currently, we are dealing with issues related to our home. For over two months our home has been in a state of disarray (see below photo) and we have no idea how or when it will be resolved. It’s invaluable to find the silver lining in situations as it greatly helps with contentment.

This is your journey, so be fully teachable and don’t wish for something different. As a learner, the road ahead will certainly be better as past mistakes present you with the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and to improve yourself.

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A bit about me…

Cherie Werner is a wife to Jon and mother to three daughters ages 28, 26, and 16. She is passionate about learning and believes that the key to true success in any relationship is loving others authentically. Cherie is keen on encouraging women in their roles as wives and mothers. It is her desire to help women become aware of the legacy that they want to leave behind. Writing and speaking is one way for her to share what she has learned along her life journey.